The Great British Bake Off, and all of its spin-offs around the world, are perhaps one of the strangest TV success stories. On paper, a bunch of amateur bakers competing in an extremely low-stakes reality competition, making the kinds of delicious treats you’d be fed by a delightful grandma, do not sound like the necessary ingredients for high octane television.
Nevertheless, what we’re served is the most delightful cake, perfect television. Wholesome, funny, gently exciting – sometimes even inspirational and moving, Bake Off’s success comes down to the joy that the contestants hold for baking, and the show’s ability to share that joy with the audience.
